I’ve mentioned the Color Factory here and there over the last couple of weeks, but today is Opening Day and I can finally tell you all about it. Oh my goodness. I’m obsessed with this place.

[ UPDATE: Tickets for the month of August completely sold out on opening day! But official word is they’re extending through September. Join their mailing list to get info about September tickets. ]

Color Factory is essentially a giant art installation, that roams over 2 floors and 12,000 square feet of a big building, right downtown in San Francisco. In each room, there’s a different color experience you can interact with, and the color experiences were created by artists — some local to the Bay Area, and some from around the world.

“Color experiences” might sound vague, but I’m not trying to be cryptic, I promise. It’s a little hard to explain if you haven’t done anything like it before. Hah! Hopefully, the photo tour below will give you a better idea of what it’s all about.

A few more details:

Color Factory is the brainchild of my sister Jordan. You may know her fantastic work from her popular blog, Oh Happy Day. In addition to Jordan, the visual direction and design are by the incredibly talented Erin Jang and Leah Rosenburg. Tickets are selling out fast (I know this week is totally gone), and are only available online — you can’t buy them at the event.

It was originally scheduled for only the month of August, but the last I heard, they may be extending through September too. So that’s great news for those of you who would like to see it but can’t make it to the Bay Area this summer.

This place was designed to be highly Instagrammable, and you don’t even need to bring your selfie-stick. When you register, you’ll receive a Color Factory card that connects your email address with cameras in each room. You’ll use the card to let the camera know you’re ready to snap a photo, and the photo will automatically be emailed to your inbox. Boom. Easy as pie.

They say to plan about an hour to go through the exhibits, but it’s not just the exhibits. In addition to the 2 floors of Color Factory, with your ticket, you’ll also get access to a map of the city that includes 17 more Color Factory activities sprinkled throughout neighborhoods around town!

This is pretty epic stuff and you could totally make a full day of it. At a local tattoo parlor, you’ll be able to get a Color Factory temporary tattoo. At a local nail shop, you can ask for the Color Factory manicure that matches the colored stripes on the front of the building. At a hidden-away fortune cookie factory, you’ll get a special Color Factory cookie. There are new murals, commissioned especially for Color Factory. And there’s even a spot to have your own personal dance party with color-based songs. Watch the Color Factory Instagram feed to get more peeks of the city tour activities.

Inside the exhibits, some of the things you’ll experience are:

– A scratch and sniff wall with scent names that will make you laugh.

– An orange room where you can find Oakland-based artist, Tosha Stimage’s collection and explore this much maligned color. Hint: bring a quarter to buy a pencil from the little vending machine.

– An endless confetti room that will inspire a million photos, with support from Method.

– An installation made of 10,000 hand-tied ribbons, designed by a Swedish artist, Jacob Dahlgren. My own kids helped cut some of the ribbons for this piece and feel extra-connected to it.

– A sea of selfies from all over the world. Hint: Read the note from English artist, Tom Stayte, to figure out how to add yours.

– A massive ball pit filled with 220,000 yellow balls. The yellow room is dedicated to my father, who always wore yellow. It made me cry when I saw the dedication.

Even the bathrooms are an experience!

I’m incredibly proud of my sister Jordan. She’s a creative genius, she thinks BIG, and she’s brave enough to take huge risks and bring her visions to life. I’ve been blogging for over 11 years now, and I’ve seen people in the blogging community do some pretty incredible things. But Color Factory is next level. I can’t think of anyone else I know that’s as bold and forward-thinking as Jordan. (You did it Jordan! You’re amazing! Hooray!)

I promise, you don’t want to miss this. Grab a ticket before they’re gone!

julia g blair

Wow! I’m so impressed! And, for me, the timing is perfect—-with all the negativity and meanness we’re experiencing in the political world, how wonderful to just stop and think about the marvel of color and art and creativity and AWE! And the BLESSING of being among Creative Geniuses.

Marie

[…] is a pop-up art installation in San Francisco that is a giant celebration of color. Design Mom featured the exhibition on her blog, and it looks amazing! The two-story interactive exhibition covers 12,000 square feet, and each […]